More candidates’ assets come to light

LAHORE: More politicians contesting the upcoming elections have disclosed details of their assets in their nominations papers.

Former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal stated in his nomination papers that he owns no personal car and his total income from his inherited agricultural lands is only Rs78,000. The total worth of his assets is Rs12.989 million comprising 12-acre inherited farmlands, one plot in Islamabad worth Rs10 million and a four-kanal house in Narowal. His wife owns 40-acre inherited agricultural land. The former minister has 15-tola gold and Rs703,393 in cash. The total worth of his used furniture is about Rs5 lakh and his wife and one son Muhammad Iqbal are his dependents. He conducted 39 foreign visits during the last four years.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s nomination papers show that his total assets are worth of Rs283.667 million. He has £88,000 in a London bank account, two houses in Multan, one in Lahore, one flat in Islamabad and two plots in Bahawalpur. He gifted a 6.5-marla plot to his wife in Lahore, and two plots worth Rs52 lakh in Bahawalpur. His wife also has £26,512 in her foreign account.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman owns no car, according to his nomination papers, and his two houses in Dera Islamel Khan are worth Rs4 million. He also owns a 5-marla plot worth Rs7 lakh. His wife has gold ornaments worth Rs950,000.

Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak owns agricultural lands worth Rs129.646 million. He is living in a rented house in Hayatabad area of Peshawar. According to nomination papers, Khattak is owner of a 2012 model car worth Rs1,367,000. His wife has 53-tola gold. Khattak has lent Rs40 lakh to a friend, and his payable loans stand at Rs25.2 million.

Jamshed Dasti is the poorest candidate, according to his nomination papers. He stated that he has no assets at all. He owns no house and no motorcycle or car. PTI candidate from NA-159, Rana Qasim Noon, seems ahead of other candidates in wealth and education. His total assets mentioned in his nomination papers are Rs441.1 million, with personal assets worth Rs341.2 million. His academic qualifications include MA Political Science, MA History and LLB. However, he paid only Rs75,000 agricultural tax from 2013 to 2015.

Former MNA Dewan Ashiq Bukhari showed his assets worth Rs110.4 million and he paid only Rs9900 agri tax from 2015-2017. Former provincial minister Naghma Mushtaq showed his assets worth Rs187.4 million including agricultural land. But this time she showed no value of agricultural lands. However, she owns 1601 kanals of land in Mianpur Belaywala and 272-kanal in Chak 83-M. Her son also owns 2188-kanal land. In 2013, his ancestral house was worth Rs10.5 million, but this time its worth has been shown at Rs15 lakh.

PML-N candidate Dewan Zulqarnain owns Rs103.302 million. Candidate from NA-159, PP-222 and 223, Mehdi Abbas Langah owns assets worth Rs138.571 million, while he paid Rs78,550 agricultural tax in the last three years.

PTI candidate from PP-223 Malik Muhammad Akram owns Rs43.97 million according to his nomination papers, while his wife owns farmlands worth Rs7 lakh. Sardar Ayub Ghallo, from the same constituency, mentioned in his nomination papers assets worth Rs10 million.

PPP candidate from the same constituency, Hamid Ali Bhatti owns 187.3 million. He paid Rs165,000 agri tax in the past three years.   Faiz Rasool from same constituency owns Rs101 million assets and he paid Rs15,000 agri tax in three years.